Yaoying and Tanmoroqie’s carriage blended into the procession, heading toward the city gate of Xingcheng that was open to commoners.
Xingcheng was heavily guarded, with lone young men being stopped and detained. In contrast, the pilgrimage procession, bowing and prostrating toward the Holy City, indeed drew no attention from the knights.
Yaoying and her companion passed through Xingcheng without major incident.
Tanmoroqie signaled Yaoying to stay in the city for the night. "We’ll go to the Holy City tomorrow."
Yaoying was somewhat puzzled. They were so close, with the Holy City right before their eyes—why delay another day?
Tanmoroqie closed his eyes to meditate, offering no explanation.
Yaoying waved a hand in front of his face to confirm his eyes were shut, then secretly wrinkled her nose at him.
They rested in the city overnight and set out again early the next morning, braving the cold wind.
A river over ten zhang wide had frozen solid, while deep ravines and rugged mountain paths were thinly blanketed in snow. Gazing into the distance, the earth stretched out in a vast expanse of white.
The pilgrimage procession trekked across the desolate snowfield—men and women, young and old, a sea of heads as far as the eye could see. They came from different tribes, their clothing varied, their eye and hair colors distinct, yet the one thing they shared was the devout expression on every face.
Everyone was already familiar with the roads near the Holy City, able to avoid snow-covered ravines without being warned, thus preventing nasty falls.
Security around the Holy City was clearly stricter. Along the main road outside the city, knights of the Four Armies were stationed every two li, their gray-brown eyes scanning the crowd. From time to time, knights charged into the masses to pull out tall, sturdy men.
Yaoying remembered that the first time she came to the Holy City, she had taken a different route, climbing for a long time to scale the earthen cliffs. Now, that shortcut was surely guarded. To avoid alerting the imperial guards, they had to enter through the main gate this time.
In the distance, the city gate spanned the riverbank, perched high on the terrain—tall and magnificent. Long stone steps wound upward, with sturdy watchtowers and arrow towers hidden among the cliffs. The imperial guards’ armor gleamed silver, and even amidst the snowy whiteness, an aura of latent menace was unmistakable.
It was still early, and the area around the city gate bustled with people waiting to enter. Seeing this, the pilgrimage procession paused to rest, sitting in small groups by the roadside to eat dry rations and drink warming salted milk tea.
Yaoying also stopped, frowning slightly as she gazed into the distance at the Holy City.
Under the azure sky, the Holy City’s distinctive massive black earthen cliffs stood imposingly, like drawn arrows shooting straight into the heavens. Over a thousand Sangharamas were scattered along the highest northern rocks, their carved stone pillars gleaming with golden light, while the pagodas interspersed among them revealed tall, pointed spires—solemn and majestic.
The pilgrims ate and drank while discussing Tanmoroqie’s deeds, praising his merits in benefiting the region over the years. Their laughter and chatter merged into a surging tide, wave after wave, reaching Yaoying’s ears.
Suddenly, a red-haired middle-aged foreigner brought up the princesses who had traveled from afar to the Holy City, asking, "Is the Buddha Prince really going to break his vows and take a wife?"
The crowd showed displeasure, murmuring in discussion.
"The Buddha Prince is noble and pure—how could he possibly renounce his vows and marry?"
"Right, the Buddha Prince will surely send those princesses away!"
Listening to their clamor, Yaoying felt as if needles were pricking her back.It seems the news of princesses gathering in the Holy City has spread far and wide. Though various rulers fear Tanmoroqie and dare not openly propose marriage alliances, merchants from the Royal Court travel frequently between kingdoms and are well-informed, having long publicized the purpose of these diplomatic missions. The name of the Buddha Prince is now universally known—even three-year-olds likely know that a group of beautiful princesses eagerly await his emergence from seclusion.
She needed to prepare her belongings quickly.
Yaoying silently calculated in her heart.
The main road bustled with ceaseless traffic and lively chatter. The meditating Tanmoroqie suddenly opened his eyes, lifted the curtain, and glanced at the clear sky. "It’s still early," he said. "We’ll enter the city in the afternoon."
"In the afternoon?"
Yaoying murmured in acknowledgment and nodded.
The pilgrims, having traveled long and hard, were dusty and ragged. Many would pause before entering the city to tidy their appearance, so waiting a few more hours was no hardship.
Yaoying poured herself a cup of hot tea, leaned against the carriage wall, and dozed off. She was abruptly awakened by sharp, chaotic noises—neighing horses and panicked screams filled the road.
She hurriedly lifted the curtain to look outside. Not far away, cries of agony echoed as pedestrians fled in disarray. Several lightly armored imperial guards galloped from north to south, mercilessly lashing out at a group of pilgrims with whips.
Those struck collapsed to the ground, limbs twitching, blood streaming—the whips were embedded with thin metal strips that tore flesh upon impact!
The guards continued their brutal assault, then turned their horses as if unsatisfied, splitting up to chase the fleeing crowd and herd them together for further flogging. With nowhere to hide, the people’s desperate wails reverberated across the snowy plains, bleak and mournful.
Having traveled together for days, the pilgrims had formed bonds. A Hu merchant, unable to bear the sight, stepped forward to intervene, but the guards refused to relent. "They’re lowly commoners from the Wuliang tribe!" one snarled. "They have no right to enter the city and pay homage to the Buddha Prince!"
The merchant could only watch helplessly, pacing in frustration.
As Royal Court guards, why would they inflict such cruelty on ordinary people?
Yaoying clenched her fists, sensing the person beside her suddenly radiate intense energy. Her heart sank.
Tanmoroqie had also been roused, his gaze fixed over her shoulder on the violent guards, his green eyes deepening.
Fearing he might reveal his identity by intervening, Yaoying whispered, "General, I have a way to scare them off."
She signaled for him to secure his headscarf, quickly retrieved her blue ground beast-pattern brocade pouch, and after rummaging through it, pulled out a folded cloth. Handing it to a servant from the merchant caravan, she gave brief instructions.
The servant rushed the cloth to the outspoken Hu merchant, whose eyes lit up at the sight.
Soon, a snow-white banner adorned with scrolling grass and gold patterns unfurled in the wind, flapping vigorously.
In these turbulent times, people wandered in hardship, uncertain of survival. In moments of despair, the Buddha Prince had descended from the heavens to save them, and all had witnessed a vast white banner billowing in the wind. Thus, a conviction took root in every heart: wherever the Buddha Prince’s banner appeared, salvation was at hand.
Now, seeing the familiar banner once more, the people’s eyes burned with fervor. Some knelt in excited emotion, their hope rekindled.The Hu merchant pointed at the banner and declared loudly, "The Buddha Prince often says all beings are equal! Regardless of one's origins, those who pledge allegiance to the Royal Court are its subjects! We are all devotees who have come to pay homage to the Buddha Prince. If you mistreat pious followers without cause, beware of facing retribution in the future! When the Buddha Prince emerges from seclusion, he will surely uphold justice for us!"
Nearby believers joined in with clamorous shouts.
The soldiers, being of low rank, exchanged uneasy glances upon seeing the banner. Ultimately, they dared not escalate the situation. With a few cold laughs and blustering threats, they withdrew their whips and strode away arrogantly.
The crowd breathed a collective sigh of relief and stepped forward to help the beaten devotees.
The Hu merchant remained standing, watching until the soldiers disappeared from view before exhaling deeply. Turning to seek out the person who had given him the banner to express gratitude, he asked those around him but received only shrugs of ignorance.
No one knew who had provided the banner.
Suspecting the benefactor might wish to avoid provoking the imperial guards, the Hu merchant smiled faintly, folded the banner, and stored it away.
At the other end of the road, watching through a gap in the curtain as the merchant put away the banner, her eyes betrayed a flicker of reluctance.
Had she not needed to maintain a low profile, she would have certainly asked for the banner back.
Tanmoroqie gazed at the kneeling crowds lining the road and asked softly, "Where did the Princess obtain this banner?"
Yaoying chuckled, lowering the curtain as she whispered, "I requested it from Yuanjue the night we ascended the mountain and have kept it with me since. The Buddha Prince's reputation spreads far and wide—I thought the banner might prove useful in an emergency..."
And indeed, it had served its purpose.
As she spoke, she noticed Tanmoroqie's unwavering gaze fixed upon her face. A nervous flutter stirred in her chest, and she sobered, asking, "General, did I act inappropriately?"
Such banners were commonplace among Royal Court merchant caravans and held no taboo significance.
She lifted her eyes, dark and luminous pupils reflecting his stern countenance.
He remained silent.
Though veiled, faint red swellings were visible on Yaoying's forehead. Over recent days, to blend in with the worshipping populace, she had performed prostrations toward the Holy City like the others—the marks resulted from repeated bowing.
She had never mentioned it. Had he not noticed the abrasions on her forehead and palms during his lucid moments, he might never have known.
"The Princess has done nothing wrong."
His voice was quiet, yet resolute.
Yaoying released a slow breath, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled at him.
Though the disturbance had subsided, the pilgrims remained apprehensive. Not daring to delay further, they gathered their bedrolls and belongings, entering the city in groups.
As more people departed, dusk gradually fell.
When only scattered travelers remained on the road, Yaoying grew concerned that lingering too long might attract guards' scrutiny. Unable to contain herself, she asked Tanmoroqie, "General, when shall we enter the city?"
"Wait a while longer," he replied calmly.
They waited another two full watches. The western sky blazed with sunset, dyeing the mountain snowdrifts in brilliant rouge hues, yet Tanmoroqie showed no intention of proceeding.
Just as the last rays of sunlight vanished, a sudden drumming of hooves erupted from the southern road.
Narrowing her eyes, Yaoying lifted the curtain to follow the sound.
Two riders galloped into view—swift as a whirlwind, charging directly toward the Holy City.The imperial guards along the way heard the hoofbeats and stepped forward to greet them. The scout on the swift horse shouted a few words loudly, and everyone was dumbfounded, standing frozen in place. After a long while, they snapped back to reality, exchanged glances, mounted their horses, and followed the scout, galloping wildly toward the city.
Wherever the scout passed, chaos ensued.
Yaoying turned back and looked at Tanmoroqie in confusion.
He said, "Wait another half-hour, and we can enter the city."
Outside the carriage window came the high-pitched neighing of horses.
Half an hour later, the two of them drove the carriage and merged into the queue entering the city.
No one knew exactly what had happened. The knights of the four armies along the way seemed to have withdrawn, and all the soldiers conducting inspections had disappeared. The atmosphere was heavy and strange. They entered the city without any effort—the prepared explanations and several bags of silver coins Yaoying had intended to bribe the guards were completely useless.
What had happened?
Yaoying was utterly bewildered. Just as she was puzzling over it, several thunderous bell tolls suddenly rang out from the direction of the city wall in the deepening dusk. Startled, she instinctively moved closer to Tanmoroqie.
The pedestrians on the road, like her, were also frightened and looked around in alarm.
The bell tolls lingered and echoed through the streets and alleys for a long time. The messenger scout stood on the city wall, facing the crowd that had swarmed below upon hearing the bells, and shouted in terror, "The Regent is dead!"
Immediately, others repeated the news of Regent Su Dan Gu's death.
A single stone stirred a thousand waves.
Soldiers quickly dispersed into the streets and alleys, deliberately trembling voices spreading the news through every neighborhood: "The Regent died at the hands of bandits!"
Yaoying froze, instinctively thinking something had happened to Ashina Bisha. Her gaze met Tanmoroqie's.
Amid the cries of "The Regent is dead," his expression remained calm, without a trace of shock or worry.
Yaoying was stunned for a moment. Reflecting on his composure over the past few days, she suddenly understood—a flash of clarity struck her mind: Bisha was not dead. All of this was part of their plan. By having the Regent "die" at the hands of assassins, they could better lull the enemy into complacency and draw out the true mastermind behind the scenes.
The reason he had insisted on entering the city today was that he knew exactly when the news of the Regent's death would arrive. Once those with ill intentions confirmed the Regent's demise, they would inevitably let down their guard and withdraw their forces, allowing them to enter the city openly.
Yaoying stared blankly at the man beside her.
So, even while severely injured, left alone in the icy wilderness, and at risk of cultivation backlash, confusion, and weakness, he had never ceased planning and strategizing for the Royal Court, not even for a moment.
Though he had no personal guards with him, he still managed to stay informed of all developments, direct Bisha's next moves, arrange for Yuanjue to relay orders, and control the overall situation—even the timing was precisely calculated. The falcon that returned to him every night must have been delivering his commands.
Now, the imperial guards' deliberate announcement of the Regent's death was also within his expectations.
All these days, she had been caring for him and urging him to rest and recover—had he ignored every word?
Yaoying fell silent.
...
The news of Su Dan Gu's death quickly spread, plunging the city into chaos and filling the people with anxiety and fear.
The carriage stopped at an inconspicuous corner. Tanmoroqie led Yaoying out of the carriage and, after winding through several turns, brought her into a secluded courtyard. He glanced at her.
She had not spoken a word since earlier.Tanmoroqie lit the lamps and candles in the room, saying, "Princess cannot return to the Buddhist temple. Wait here. Bi Suo will return to the city tonight and come to take you to his residence for temporary lodging."
Yaoying snapped out of her thoughts and hummed in acknowledgment.
Tanmoroqie fell silent, his gaze sweeping over her face.
Yaoying smiled at him and said, "I understand. The General must return to Wang Temple unnoticed to report urgent matters to the Buddha Prince and cannot bring me along. General need not worry about me or wait for General Ashina to return. I can go to the General's residence now and wait for him there."
The Regent was "dead," making it even more crucial for him not to reveal his identity. She was now Akebayan and could go to Bi Suo's residence alone.
Tanmoroqie shook his head. "The Princess need only wait here."
Yaoying nodded, not arguing with him. "I've noted it. Then I shall obey the General and wait here for General Ashina without going anywhere."
Tanmoroqie hummed in response, turned, and left.
Worried about his injuries, Yaoying instinctively moved to stop him, wanting to advise him to use his inner strength as little as possible. But as soon as her hand lifted, she withdrew it.
He wouldn't listen. These past few days, she had advised him so often that his ears must be calloused by now.
Yaoying applied medicine daily, and the scars on her hand had faded from bluish-purple to a tender pink. She timidly waved her hand before his eyes, then withdrew it as if carrying a hint of grievance.
Tanmoroqie adjusted his headscarf and strode out of the courtyard without hesitation, closing the gate behind him.
After walking some distance, a sudden scream pierced the quiet, dark alley.
Tanmoroqie halted and looked back.
In the dim light, grumbling voices emerged from the alley as several merchants helped a woman out. The earlier alarm bells had startled the donkey she was riding, causing it to rear up and throw her off—the scream had been hers.
This was the meeting place he had arranged with Bi Suo, close to Bi Suo's residence. Bi Suo would arrive shortly; she was safe.
Tanmoroqie turned and continued forward.
...
Yaoying watched Tanmoroqie leave, packed her brocade bag, and waited. Soon, footsteps sounded outside the door.
Bi Suo had arrived.
Yaoying's eyes darted around. She picked up her brocade bag and hid in a corner, peeking through the door crack. A tall figure ascended the stone steps and approached.
He pulled the door open, his green eyes directly locking onto Yaoying's hiding spot.
Yaoying met his gaze, her eyes widening in surprise.
"General Su?"
Under the night sky, Tanmoroqie stood at the doorway, having turned back. His expression was calm, and the moonlight cascading down made his figure appear exceptionally tall. He gave a slight nod and said plainly, "Princess, come with me to Wang Temple."
Yaoying was stunned. "What about General Ashina?"
Tanmoroqie swept his sleeve, extinguishing the candlelight, and turned to leave. "He knows what to do."
Yaoying was somewhat taken aback, pausing for a moment before clutching her brocade bag and following him.
They hadn't gone far when Tanmoroqie stopped.
Yaoying stopped as well.
Tanmoroqie lowered his gaze.
Yaoying looked up at him, their eyes meeting.
He said, "On the way to Wang Temple, the Princess will have to endure some inconvenience."
Yaoying was momentarily startled, then smiled and replied, "A guest follows the host's arrangements."
He raised his hand, his fingers brushing past Yaoying's cheek.
A black cloth covered her eyes, wrapped around her temples, and tied at the back of her head with a gentle knot. Instantly, her vision plunged into darkness.Yaoying couldn't see anything, but knowing he stood beside her, she felt no panic. Slowly reaching out her hand, she called softly: "General?"
Though her eyes were covered with a black cloth, the corners of her lips still curved upward slightly, showing complete trust.
Tanmoroqie bent down.
As his familiar presence suddenly drew near, Yaoying felt herself being lifted. Her hands groped until they found his neck, taking some time to properly settle in place due to her blindness.
Soon after, wind whistled past her ears as he carried her soaring into the air, gliding over rooftops. The crisp sound of footsteps on tiles echoed through the night.
Enveloped in darkness, Yaoying couldn't tell how much time had passed when she felt his pace slowing. His body shifted as if navigating uneven terrain, while the howling wind mingled with the patter of flowing water. On such a cold night, where could unfrozen river water be coming from? Could it be the sound of melting ice?
She pondered idly.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Tanmoroqie set Yaoying down without removing her blindfold. Pressing something into her palm, he said: "Follow me."
They seemed to be in a vast, empty space. Though he spoke in a hushed tone, faint echoes still lingered.
Yaoying nodded with a soft "Mm," her fingers exploring the soft fabric he'd given her. When she tugged gently, the figure beside her shifted.
Puzzled, she reached upward until her hands found his solid arm.
So he had given her his sleeve.
A smile touched Yaoying's lips as she listened for Tanmoroqie's voice, clutching his sleeve tightly while keeping close behind him. After traversing a flat path, they ascended a gentle staircase. Walking ahead, he occasionally whispered warnings about upcoming turns or stone steps.
In the narrow secret passage, their breathing gradually intertwined.
...
Wang Temple.
Beneath the northernmost cliff among a row of rock grottoes of varying sizes, only the innermost chamber held a flickering oil lamp. Its dim yellow light danced across walls carved with solemn, dignified Buddha statues featuring full, rounded faces.
In the silence, a bookshelf crammed with scriptures suddenly creaked against the wall.
The guard sitting cross-legged in meditation immediately sprang to his feet, leaping up in reverence before the bookshelf. Since the Buddha Prince had left the Holy City, he'd remained in the grotto impersonating him, nearly losing track of time.
Soon, the bookshelf swung open from within. Two figures emerged slowly—one tall and straight in dark robes, the other a graceful woman with black cloth covering her eyes, following cautiously behind the man into the grotto.
The guard stood gaping, eyes wide with astonishment.
The Buddha Prince had gone to Gaochang and actually brought back a young woman through the secret passage to the Buddhist temple!
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